Universal Chaos
by Kapparan
Summary: A.U. Erts is an outcast at his school until a sudden fight between Zero and
1. The Beginning

Universal Chaos

Kapparan Majic

Rating: Do you even pay attention to this? PG-13 for language and yaoi

Pairing: Erts/Zero ( I can't believe I'm writing this pairing) Ernest/Garu, Hiead/male O.C.

The universe loses a star every other hour, O'Rion's belt has nearly 15 tons of plant waste in it, and the planet Earth comes closer to extinction everyday. The homeless and the helpless starve to death and terrorists rule the Eastern Hemisphere. The ozone layer is on the verge of disaster.

These are matters people should care about, but here's the thing.....Erts didn't care. He didn't care that the environment was failing, didn't care that his neighbor's boyfriend beat her every other day and he didn't care that his brother was gay. All he cared about at the moment was finding a way home, and preferably not by the big, yellow death-mobiles the administration called school buses.

Slamming his locker shut, Erts didn't even bother to place the lock back on. Nothing of great value was kept in it and Erts could've cared less if the school's textbook mysteriously vanished. Besides, no one else bothered with security at his school, so why should he? After passing the busted metal detectors at the entrance of the school, Erts slung what little he held in his backpack over his shoulder and ambled toward that parking lot. He knew mooching a lift off of his brother, Ernest, would be pointless as he and his boyfriend Garu where already munching down tacos at Taco Hell. He could probably get a ride from Tune, but he really didn't want to put up with 20 minutes of goggling eyes and stuttered speech. That left two options; walking or asking Leena-chan. He'd better start walking.

As the front gate loomed closer, Erts saw a large crowd gathering around one of the flag poles. Moving closer, Erts saw that a fight had broken out and recognized one of the participants as a purple-haired boy in his class named Force, but the brown haired boy Erts didn't know.

Against his better judgement, he entered the tight circle of people to watch the two adolescents knock fists. The brown-haired kid moved fast the left, dodging Force's punch, and landed a well placed kick to the older boy's groin. Force fell to his hands and knees as the brown haired boy raised his fists in a sign of victory.

"Way to go, Zero!" a short, green haired boy Erts knew from the annual staff as Yamagi yelled out. _So Zero was his name_....._odd choice_......_I wonder what possessed his parents to dub their child that_.....Erts's thoughts were abruptly cut short as ocean blue eyes met his own cerulean blue ones. The boy named Zero stopped short of his wild victory dance and held Erts's eyes with his, neither willing or wanting to look away. Meanwhile, Force's hand snatched up a piece of stray metal on the ground and palmed it. Seeing his opponent detraction, he slammed the sharp object into Zero's unprotected stomach.

Erts watched in with a mix of horror and fascination as blood bloomed on the white school uniform shirt and green tie all male students wore; the crowd was deadly silent. Students were used to a couple of fist fights, but nothing violent enough to draw serious blood. Two long strides where all it took for Erts to reach the fallen boy's side. Checking for a pulse, he motioned to one of the girls in the crowd.

"Call an ambulance, NOW!!"

The ride to the hospital had been pure torture for Erts as paramedics rushed around the small van trying to stabilize the b- Zero. He had been able to accompany the semi-conscious youth all the way to the emergency ward where the nurses forced their hands apart. Zero made a whimpering noise in the back of his throat but offered no further protests as a plastic mask was slipped over his slim face. The nurses then gently shoved Erts into the waiting room and told him that one of them would come to retrieve him when 'Mr. Enna' was well enough for visitors. The next five hours had been spent calling various family member's mobiles to relay the afternoon's events for them and filling out numerous forms half way for Zero to finish later. _Why am I doing this?_ He thought to himself. _Why am I caring for this boy when I don't even know him? _The feeling inside his chest that had tightened painfully when Zero had been stabbed still ached slightly, but Erts didn't know why nor could he identify it.

"With time comes answers," he muttered to himself as a nurse with pink pig-tails came bouncing into the room.

"Mr. Cocteau! Your friend Mr. Enna is ready to see you now!" she said in a voice so full of false cheer that Erts felt much like slamming her too perky face into the table. Instead of doing so however, he simply followed her through the white wash walls to a room with the digits 429 in brass drilled to the door. Zero was stretched out on a stiff-looking bed with needles sticking in both arms and a cheesy grin plastered across his face. Bandages covered his chest and torso, but he showed no sign of pain on his smiling, sun bleached face.

"So you're the guy who had enough brains to call the hospital for me. I would thank you properly, but they refuse to allow me out of bed. Can't understand why."

"No problem," Erts replied with a slight grin. What was he doing?! He never smiled for anyone! "If I was looking for a thank you, I'd be back at school, digging through trash cans for the homeless." Zero laughed outright at Erts's comment and the blonde's heart jumped in his chest.

Zero leaned over the night stand and grabbed his wallet.

"Would you mind calling the bastard at home and telling him to get me the hell out of here? The number's in there somewhere."

"The bastard?" Erts asked as he slowly peeled apart the beaten piece of leather. Papers sprang from it like freed birds from a cage as a driver's permit and a discount card for Hot Topic came into view.

"That's what I call my roommate. Don't let that fool you, he really is a bastard. That's the number," Zero conformed as Erts held up a slip of paper with a hasty address and phone number scowled on it. Erts dragged his mobile out from his pocket.

"5..7..4..9..2..5..8..5," he muttered as he dialed. Zero watched him in amusement through locks of shiny brown hair.

"What the hell did you do, Enna?" a gruff voice blared into Erts's ear. "And don't bother saying it's not you! You're the only one with this number." Before Erts could answer the less than polite welcome, he heard a scuffle in the background and the gruff voice yelled for 'Blake' to back off. He heard someone grab the phone and a smoother, nicer sounding voice spoke into the speaker.

"Hello?"

"Hi, my name is Erts Cocteau and I'm sitting in the fourth floor of the Tatyuo Hospital with Zero Enna. He was stabbed in a fight at school today and asked if I could call you and tell you that he needs you to come get him."

"Okay, so you're Zero's new toy, you two were making out in the closet, he tripped on something that went through his stomach and when the ambulance arrived, you told them that he was in a fight rather then come out of the closet. No pun intended"

"And you say I'm bad!" the gruff voice yelled in the background and Erts heard another scuffle break out for the phone. This time Blake's voice was in the distance when he stated "I still love you."

"Tell the Slut I'll be there as soon as Blake stops trying to tie me to the bed and screw me silly," the gruff voice told Erts before hanging up. Erts stared down at the mobile in his hand before a pillow made contact with his forehead. The blonde's had shot up to see Zero grinning at him with his cheesy grin back in place and his eyebrows raised.

"What'd the bastard say?"

Erts recited the conversation almost perfectly, only fumbling on Blake's take on the accident. Zero laughed loudly at it.

"I'm amazed that the bastard fell for Blake. They're complete opposites in every way, shape, and form," he said. "And I didn't think the bastard would ever let himself be uke to anyone." Erts grinned at the tone Zero used to describe his roommate. It was obvious that the 'slut' was just as found of the 'bastard' as the 'bastard' was of the 'slut'.

"Hey," Erts said when Zero paused for a breath. "What's the bastard's real name? It would look pretty bad if I called him 'bastard' in front of the nurses."

"It's Hiead. Hiead Gner." the gruff voice said behind him. Erts whirled around to see a young man with sliver/white hair, pale skin that blended perfectly with the white wash walls, and gorgeous wine red eyes leaning against the door frame with his arms folded over his chest. Behind him, a tall man with dark blue hair, gray eyes, and a wicked smile stood with one lanky arm around Hiead's waist and his chin resting on the bastard's head. In his other hand, the man held a folder Erts presumed held Zero's paper work.

"I....spoke with the reception desk," Hiead began before the man Erts guessed as Blake interrupted him.

"What do you mean 'spoke'! You scared that poor girl senseless with that glare of yours, my dear," he said in his smooth voice. Hiead glared up at his boyfriend.

"Didn't I tell you not to call me that?" he said in a deadly calm voice that sent shivers down Erts spine. Blake, however, seemed used to it as he simply leaned down to nip gently at Hiead's ear and suck on the pulse point on his neck.

"Just ignore me and continue," Blake said, glancing over to Zero and Erts. Zero's laughter filled the room as Hiead closed his eyes and visibly tried to compose himself.

"Anyway," Hiead said in a softer voice. "The fucking nurses said that you're not stable yet so we have to wait to drag you home and put you back to work. Would you stop that!!" he yelled Blake as the blue haired man pulled back the collar of his shirt and began nibbling on the pale shoulder. When he didn't stop right away, Hiead slammed one of his elbows into Blake's side and glared at him heatedly.

"And what would you do if I didn't?"

"No fucking me silly for a month." Blake immediately shrank way from Hiead and unwound his arm from the boy's waist.

"I'm going down to the vending machine before pale face here decides to circumcise me," he said stiffly. "Does anyone want anything?"

"A cigarette and a good fuck would be great about now," Zero commented lightly and Erts throw the pillow he held in his lap into Zero's face. Blake smiled and left the room. Zero leaned over the bed railing and yanked one of the hideous plastic chairs over to him. Indicating to the uncomfortable seat, he looked Hiead in the eye.

"Sit and talk to me, bastard. How was that fun thing people call pubic school?" It wasn't until then Erts realized that unlike he and Zero, who wore the white shirt, green tie and gray slacks of Kawasaki Private School, Hiead wore a plain gray short sleeve shirt over a longer black shirt, dark blue jeans adorned heavily with zippers, and combat boots decorated with silver flames. Two necklaces hung from his pale neck: one a black stone dragon crawled around a blood red sword and the other a set of dog tags. Hiead stayed at the door frame as his wine colored eyes locked on Erts. A grim smile played over his lips.

"So slut, hooked another one?" he inquired casually. Erts stuttered and turned read in embarrassment, but Zero merely laughed and throw his arms around the speechless blonde, heedless of his wound.

"Of course, bastard. Isn't he just go die for?"

"I prefer brunettes," Hiead replied as he locked eyes with Erts blue ones. The grim smile turned to a smirk as Hiead pushed off against the door and walked out of the room.

"Wait! Aren't you going to get me out of here?!" Zero yelled at him. Hiead continued walking but Erts still heard his voice filter through the hall.

"I told you, slut. You're not stable yet. I'll be back to get you in a day or two." Zero yelled obscenities until he was sure Hiead was out of hearing range before turning to Erts.

"See, I told you he was a bastard."

I never knew police brutality could be so stimulating.......I wrote this on a Megami Kouhosei binge and violent police video's playing in the background. Tell me if you like 'cause this is the first time I've taken a wack at this parting. Ja-by-bye!! P.S- If the second chapter isn't up in two weeks, come yell at me at my e-mail address and get me motivated!!!


	2. A little deeper

Universal Chaos

Kapparan Majic

Rating and Pairing: see first chapter (as if you care)

Disclaimer: I feel so ditzy for not adding this in on the first chapter. It took me about two weeks to clue in that I had forgotten it. I don't own M.K. and if I did, the plot would be completely twisted.

_berettaboy- Thanz for the review! You get the first review of the story prize, another chapter! I'll most likely keep the pg-13 rating unless the story gets too hot or too violent. I really don't foresee that happening though._

_silvermyth- First, Blake. Blake is only in the position he's in because I couldn't see anyone else there. Besides Zero, I find it absolutely impossible to pair Hiead with anyone from the series. (My own stubbornness ) Second, define Hiead-ish. Hiead is not a 2 dimensional character and since the series never elaborates on his other side, I simply exploited it. Zero's vulgarness is just the mask I gave him for is fic. That may be a little O.O.C., but its funny and I like the way it turned out. Mechanical/spelling errors are going to happen a) because I can't spell to save my life even with spell check b) because I have no beta reader. Thanz for the review._

_Seena58- Welcome to the addicting show that is Megami Kouhosei (god that is HELL to spell!) Thanz for the review and I hope you enjoy the sorry excuse of a fic I post._

_Stranger12- Force's hair may be purple it may be blue it may be hot pink for all I know. All I can remember from the anime I saw about two years ago was that it was an unnatural color of dark nature. I didn't know you could spell Hiead's name a different way, thanz for telling me that as I now have something to look into._

Now on to the real reason I'm at my computer at 1 in the morning with coffee and chocolate lacing my stomach……..

The rain pounded Erts as he raced up the marble steps of Tatyuo Hospital, a pack of sharpies in one hand and Ernest's car keys in his other. As it turned out, entering the hospital and neck-breaking speed was not the smartest thing Erts had ever attempted as he had three near misses on his way to the elevator. Stepping in, he found himself face to face with the blonde bombshell, Dr. Rill. She raised one thin eyebrow at him as Erts came to a halt and braced his hands on his knees to catch his breath. The plain red shirt he wore dripped with sweat and rain, creating a large puddle on the floor.

"Mr. Cocteau, I take it you're in a hurry?"

"Not at all, Dr. Rill. I was just testing if I could actually dodge rain," Erts replied with a false wide-eyed intelligence. Dr. Rill rapped him over the head with her clipboard as the stainless steel doors slide open.

"Respect your elders, boy!" she yelled at him cheerfully. Erts rubbed his head as he stepped out of the elevator and down the hall into Zero's room.

It had been a week since the accident with Force, and every day after the hell known as school was over, Erts would rush over to the hospital to see Zero for an hour or two. His brown haired…friend…(Erts deemed in damn near impossible to pronounce that word) had been healing nicely over the last 5 days, but Dr. Rill and her higher-ups refused to allow him to even move from his bed. Zero found this annoying, Erts found it a necessary precaution, and Hiead found it fucking hilarious.

Zero's room was as white and as morbid as it had been yesterday and Erts resisted the urge to run the sharpies in his hand over the wall just for the hell of it. Instead he dragged an uncomfortable plastic chair over to Zero's bed side and plopped down in it. Zero regarded him from under dusty brown locks and gestured silently down to the end of his bed where one Hiead Gner sat with his head in his arms, sleeping.

"I don't care how you do it, but you get the bastard to go home!" Zero demanded. "He's been here for nearly two straight days and I swear if I have to force food down his skinny little throat one for time I'll put _him_ in a hospital bed! I can't even call Blake to come get him because the jackass nurses took my phone!"

Erts allowed Zero to rant as he inspected Hiead. The boy's clothes (a sliver and black shirt over torn, kaki cargo pants) were wrinkled from sleep and being stuck in cramped spaces; his hair was messy and unkept.

"And how, prey tell, do you suggest I do this?"

"I don't know! Can't we just throw him out the window? I'm willing to bet he'll land on his feet." Erts snorted at the comment. Hiead's red eyes cracked open to glare at Zero.

"The only person getting tossed out a window would be you, slut," he muttered groggily. Zero raised a pillow to throw it, but Erts snatched it out of his hand. Hiead slowly staggered to his feet and stretched out his muscles.

"I'm going to call Blake and talk to the doctors. You move from that damn bed and I'll kill you." With that threat hanging in the air, Hiead left. Zero slumped against the reclined bed and blew his bangs away from his face childishly, but immediately brightened when Erts handed him the pack of sharpies. Erts watched in fascination as Zero ripped the pack open and extracted the black marker.

"May I ask where this obsession with sharpies came from?"

"Hell if I know. All I know is that they're fun to color annoying hospital sheets with." Laughing, Erts sat back and was content to watch Zero amuse himself by defacing hospital property. He contently ignored the raising pressure in his chest that came with Zero's happy smile.

Hiead punched in his home number into the cheap pay phone he located in the hospital lobby, knowing Blake would pick up. Sure enough.

"Blake here. How's the hospital?"

"Don't ask. And one fucking word out of you about why I should come home and I will personally slam your face into the concrete. Painfully."

"Touché. I'm running that background on Erts you asked for. It's quite informative."

"I don't care if it's the fucking Magna Carta. All I want to know is if the kid is a danger."

"Not that I can see. According to records online, he's in a foster home with an older brother. Parents were lost to a mob a couple of years ago."

"Get to the point, Blake."

"Hiead, there is no point to get to. This kid is pretty cl-…shit." Hiead pressed his forehead into the phone booth. He knew this kid was too good to be true.

"What is it." It was a command, not a question.

"Well, I'm not technically sure this could be classified as a reason to panic, but his foster father is Akito Nagatomi." Hiead's head shot up as his eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.  
"Shit….,"

It was a sudden, completely out of the blue question.

"Why do you hate everything, Erts?" Erts looked up from his magazine to eye Zero. The boy was not looking at him, but instead tracing his finger over the doodles he had done on the bed sheets. Erts couldn't help but notice how childish he looked.

"Hate is a strong word. I don't hate everything."

"I'll rephrase the question. Why are you so cold to people?"

"I'm not cold to you."

"Yes, you are!" Zero met Erts eyes with fire blazing in his sapphire blue eyes. "You're avoiding my question with the grace of an anvil, and I really want to know, Erts: Why don't you trust me?" Erts sat motionless for a moment before leaning forward to look Zero fully in the eye.  
"Where did this come from, Zero? This isn't you at all. If you really want to know my secrets, then you have to tell me yours. I can tell you don't want to do that, and I don't really feel like telling you mine, so lets just drop the subject. You don't want to know or even see the real me under everything and I don't want to see the real you." Erts stated in a soft, deadly serious voice. He held Zero's eyes with his and silently prayed his message got across. He liked Zero as he was, and he didn't want to jeopardize this new-found happiness over something as stupid as the past and what makes him who he is. Zero sighed in annoyance.

"Why do I always have to befriend the god damn stubborn ones! The bastard said something along those lines when I first met him, too, and now I know that his father was an alcoholic jackass who beat Hieadon the regular bases and that he has a sweet tooth for chocolate. Do you really think I don't want to know you?"

"Zero, let the past lay dead. I for one don't like bringing up old memories and past events."

"Erts-." Erts closed his magazine and stood up, eyes narrowed in on Zero.

"I thought I could get along with you Zero Enna. Obviously I was wrong and will immediately start correcting that mistake by leaving," Erts spat stiffly as he moved toward the door. He laid a hand on the knob when he heard Zero's voice in his ears.  
"My father was a man-whore. He sold himself to any sex who was willing to pay." Erts turned slowly to see the brown haired boy staring out the window at a flock of birds. Zero continued casually, as if he were simply talking about of the weather. "He and my mom saw each other about three times before she got pregnant with me. Once she told him, he was gone in a flash. I hope he's starving on some street corner right now. Mom tried to raise me the best she could, but an eighteen year old can only do so much. She was knifed for her cheap jewelry in some ally, I don't even remember the name of it anymore. I was on the streets for five years after her death and learned some tough lessons that I wish I hadn't needed to learn before Hiead found me. It was hate at first sight, but we eventually clicked. I've been living like this since, and I'm enjoying every fucking minute of it. Can you say that?" Zero turned to Erts with blue eyes filled with a stubborn cheerfulness Erts didn't know existed. "There you go, that's my big secret. Your turn." Erts was torn; his mind screamed for him to leave and never return, but his traitorous mouth and body had different plans.

"My past is none of your business."

"Why say that?"

"Because it's not important."

"If it's not important, then why are you trying so hard to avoid telling me about it? Face it man, I'm going to find out one way or another, so just tell me."

"Just because you can spill your past so easily doesn't mean I can."

"I can spill my past easily because I learned to confront it and get over it. I don't care about the past because I don't live in the past, but I would like to know why you're so cold to everything. Is that so hard to answer?"

"For me? Yes."

Zero fell silent as he regarded Erts intensely. Erts stared back in what became a full fledged staring contest as not only eyes but wills challenged each other. Erts hated to admit it, but he could slowly feel his resolve breaking under Zero's close scrutiny. The tight, constricting feeling in his chest only proved to weaken him more as it grew in strength with every word from Zero's mouth. Finally, Erts cracked.

"My parents were never really in love with each other, better to say they felt comfortable around the other. Ernest and I were pretty much results of too much sake and crack one night, but they tolerated us. We lived in the slums of Tokyo around that time and lynch mobs were to be expected, but it was still a surprise when mom and dad got caught in one late that night. Ernest and I were sent to the local dump the city tried to pass as an orphanage, I think I was about five at the time. We stayed there quietly for nearly three years before my brother started gained media attention at school for his academic achievements, mainly bring able to prove Professor Tazuki's theory on time travel wrong 2. A man named Akito Nagatomi took a great interest in Ernest and convinced him to allow Nagatomi to adapt us." Zero visibly jerked at the mention of the name Nagatomi, but Erts was too engrossed in his story to see it. "I remember trying very hard to hit Ernest over the head with a book when he told me what was going on. For the past eight years now, Nagatomi's been trying to shove his ideas down Ernest's and my throat and trying to shape us into heirs for his company. I don't know about Ernest, but I can't stand it any more! One more word out of the bastard's mouth about how I should strive for perfection or what I did accomplish wasn't good enough and I'll slam his face in!"

Erts voice rose several notches at the end of his story so he was practically screaming the last few lines.

"Is it so hard to ask for someone to actually respect me and care about what I do?!"

At this point, Erts looked up to see Zero's reaction only to feel something warm and firm slide over his lips. It took only moments for Erts to realize Zero's mouth was pressed against his and his insides froze over as the brown haired boy's tongue traced his lips, silently begging for entrance. Reflex more than common sense granted Zero's request and Erts lost himself in the sensation of Zero exploring his mouth; his lungs burned from lack of oxygen but Erts ignored the feeling in favor of the kiss. Zero broke away for air, only to return for quick, passionate kisses that ranged from Erts eyelids to his cheeks, to his already abused mouth. Eventually he pulled away, but his hands came up and cupped Erts face. Erts hands covered Zero's tanned ones tried to stop the tears from streaming down his face. Everything was just to much, his real family, Nagatomi, the now damn near painful ache in his chest…..he broke down on the bed and cried hard for the first time in eight years. Zero hushed and cooed to him, petting his hair and face and rubbing soothing circles into his back. Erts slowly calmed down and laid his head on Zero's lap as the boy played with his hair and whispered random comforts to him. As Erts's eyes slide closed, Zero's voice punctured the darkness.

"Don't worry anymore. You confronted your past and it can't hurt you anymore."

Even with his eyes closed, Zero could see Hiead in the room. His partner was leaning against the wall facing his bed with his arms crossed across his chest and his head down. He had come in about five or so minutes after Erts left on the pretences of having to go home for dinner. Erts…. Zero's mind drifted to images of the boy's pretty face as he kissed those cute, pink lips and the uncertain but adorable gestures the blonde had tried. Zero's fantasy continued for a while until a firm hand griped his nose and pulled hard. Pain exploded from the center of his face at Zero's eyes flew open to rest on Hiead's grim form.  
"He told you," Hiead stated emotionlessly. Zero winced; he hated that voice.

"Yes, he did. I don't see any great threat about it though," was Zero's weak defense. His voice was high and nasal due to the fact his nose was plugged.

"Nagatomi is not a great threat!? That make-out session completely seized your sanity! This is the guy who's been trying to kill us for the past two weeks because he thinks we stole from him!"

"And how did you expect me to break that? 'Oh by the way, Erts, I'm a con man who is currently being chased by that bastard idiot you call a father?' That's a great conversation starter!"

"I wasn't expecting you to tell him, I was expecting you to kill him. He's a threat to our lives and I won't allow you to put yourself or Blake in that kind of danger due to your stupidity!"

Zero's fury took over as he wrenched his nose from Hiead's grip and shot his hand up to clench the pale wrist.

"I REFUSE to kill an innocent boy over miscommunication issues with a grumpy old fart who can't even raise kids right!" he yelled as he yanked Hiead down to the bed. Hiead stumbled over the mattress and Zero took the opportunity to ram his fist into Hiead's gut, emphasizing his point. Hiead rolled off the end of the bed and fell to his knees, trying to regain his breath and sense of balance. Zero felt the ping in his heart that told him he would regret hitting Hiead later, but right now wasn't later. "He has no idea who Nagatomi really is and I will NOT attack him for your paranoid reasons!"

Hiead's wine red eyes coming up slowly to meet Zero's was the only warning the wounded boy received before Hiead lunged for his throat. The brawl would have gotten out of hand then if a pair of slender arms had not encircled Hiead's waist and jerked him back. Blake pulled his boyfriend to the other side of the room, shoved him in a corner, and bodily placed himself between the two youths.  
"I leave you alone for two days and ya'll are at each other's throats! Care to explain?"

Hiead wrenched himself out of his boyfriends grip, and with a short 'no' stalked out of the room. Blake raised his an eyebrow at Zero, who just shrugged.

"Go ask the bastard. And out the stick out of his ass while you're at it," he spat bitterly. Blade stared at him with glassy eyes, as if trying to piece something together, before he to departed and left Zero alone with his thoughts.

_Before anyone goes and pushes the review button to bitch at me for not posting earlier, I'll tell you I have no excuse other then the fact that I didn't feel like it. I will say that I will try my damnedest (that IS a word, iie nome!!!) to finish this story, even if it is slow going, so don't give up on me. Thanz to everyone who reviewed on chapter 1 and I hoped you liked it chapter too. The sharpie thing is weird, i know, but i like sharpies and now so does Zero! >. I know the con man thing is weird, but itWILL make since, i swear._


	3. How far in are we?

He was on cloud nine. That was the only way Erts could think of to describe the feelings whirling around in his head. His body was on autopilot while his mind flew through the past weeks with Zero. Those glorious, wonderful weeks where he didn't have to worry about Nagatomi or school or anything else, just Zero's beautiful face. He had told no one, of course. Who was there to tell? Ernest was out of the question; he loved his older brother but Erts did not want to have to deal with the protective streak his nii-chan would undoubtedly take up. The house servants at home would only tell Nagatomi, which was even worse then Ernest, and it was not like Erts had any real friends at school. No, it was better all the way around if he just kept this between Zero and himself.

Walking home from school, Erts mused on the relationship he was building. He and Zero had officially been going out the day Zero was freed from the hospital two weeks ago and he was loving every minute of it. Zero was kind, loving, and laughed at everything; something Erts had not done in a long time. The only thing that bothered Erts was how little he actually knew of Zero's live. The brown haired boy was aware of everything from Erts biological parent's full names to his favorite restaurant, McDonald's, while he knew practically nothing of Zero other then what he had told him in the hospital that fateful day. Whenever he confronted Zero about this, his boyfriend (he just loved the sound of that word) would tactfully dance around the question, leaving Erts as clueless as he had started out.

The clashing sound of trashcans meeting made Erts jump, but the ally to his left showed no signs of movement. Suddenly feeling a strong sense of foreboding, Erts quickened his pace only to have a pair of arms strong grab him and haul him behind the dumpster. Out of view of the street. He saw four punks in dirty, torn clothes surround him while a fifth kept him captive in the circle of his hairy limbs.

"Well, well, well. Looks like we caught ourselves a little treasure here, boys. What do you say we do with it?" puck 1 spat, a perverted grin on his face. Two of the other four pucks rolled their eyes in annoyance.

"Can't you keep your mind out of the gutter for ten seconds! I just want his wallet, that spiffy watch he's got, and to send him away with a lump on his head to remind him not to wander into our territory." punk 2 stated as he slapped punk 1 in the back of the head. 3 guarded the mouth of the ally while 4 began stripping Erts of his watch and anything his pockets would give up. Satisfied that he got everything, 4 nodded to 5 before silently slipping into the shadows of the ally. Erts could feel 5 grin as the arms around him tightened. He began struggled hard enough to put muscles.

"No worries, sweet. We won't be goin' too hard on ye," 5 muttered into his ear and Erts desperately fought the urge to bit down on the first piece of flesh he saw. Not only would it most likely taste nasty, but it would undoubtedly serve to piss punk 5 off farther.

As 5 was busy with Erts, 1 was with 2, and 4 counting his spoils, none of them notice 3's fall into darkness. The sound of metal hitting concrete caught everyone's attention, though. From behind his prison of limbs, Erts couldn't see what was going on, but the verbal cues provided enough.

"What the hell- Yoshi! You bastard, get away from him!" _Clank, thud, crunch._

"Get 'em boys! He's only one person!" _Snap_

"SHIT! He's fast!"

"ohgodohgodohgod, don't hurt-."

5 throw Erts against the wall harshly to go help his partners with the new arrival, only to become victim of a lead pipe as it walked up and down his body. Falling to the ground with a dull thud he, along with his comrades, lay unmoving in the ally way. Erts closed his eyes as he waited for the inevitable pain, only to feel hot breath racing over his skin. Azure eyes snapped open to meet wine red ones as Erts looked into Hiead's very pissed off face.

"Hi-hiead! What are-," Erts didn't get a chance to finish as Hiead backed away and stalked over to the unmoving bodies. A thin lead pipe rested comfortably in his hand and he used it to lift the faces of the beaten thugs. Erts stayed quiet as Zero's words about Hiead came to mind. _Hiead and I aren't on good terms with each other at the moment. He's a paranoid fucker and if you run into him, just turn around and walk away. Will you do that for me, Erts? Will you promise to walk away?_ Of course Erts had promised, but he quickly rationalized that running would be labeled extremely stupid at the moment.

Coming across 3-Yoshi- Hiead knelt down and pulled out a slim leather folder and a pair of shiny brass knuckles from the pocket of the punk's ratty pants. Slipping both items into his jacket, he walked to the mouth of the ally, turned, and regarded Erts again from under cold eyes.

"Get up, get your shit, and walk away." he spat bluntly before doing just that.

_**(scene change)**_

It was nearly nine in the evening when Zero arrived home, weary but determined. He dumped the cash he had lifted from the rude idiot who ran into him earlier, along with said idiot's watch, pager, and cell phone. The cell phone slid dangerously close to the edge of the table, but Zero paid it no mind as he stalked through the hallway. Stopping at Hiead's bedroom door, he eyed the plank of wood before admitting himself. He never fully grasped the concept of knocking.

The curtains were drawn back to block out the street light outside, making Hiead's room dark and dismal. Atomship's "Whitfield" hummed gently in the corner from a basic boom box, and the futon across the room was piled with pillows of different shapes and sizes; a few were even spilling onto the floor.

Zero picked his way through the mess of clothes, papers, books, and the random CD case to the human-shaped lump resting among the pillows. Sitting on the side of the futon, Zero stared at the shape.

"Hiead, I know you're not asleep. I want to talk."

"….."

_There's a man outside and he's  
screaming that the elephants are trampling,  
trampling his father in his sleep.  
There's a girl outside and she's screaming that  
the world's on fire, on fire today. _

"Erts told me you ran into him today."

"….."

You where following him, weren't you?"

"….."

"What am I going to have to show you to convince you that he's not a danger or a threat?"

"….."

You are way too stubborn for you own good, you know that?"

_There's a man inside and he's screaming  
for his noon time pills at nine a.m.  
There's a girl outside and she's screaming  
at the whole wide world, one hair at a time.  
_

"….."

"….."

"….."

"Erts said he probably wouldn't of gotten out of there without your help."

"….."

"….."

"….."

_I'm trying so hard to keep my eyes still.  
Against the whole wide world, to make her love me.  
Whitfield was my world today.  
Love me.  
Against the whole wide world, cause she won't love me.   
Whitfield was my world. _

"He said you beat them pretty bad."

"….."

"Two of them are dead. Their wind pipes were crushed by extreme force. The report pointed to a foot or weapon of some kind pushing down until their air passage collapsed."

"….."

Erts also told me you kept the pipe."

"….." a pale hand appeared from under the covers to point to said object on the floor near the still open door. The hand retracted back almost immediately.

"So the only piece of evidence that ties you to two deaths is currently lying on your bedroom floor."

"….."

_There's a man outside and he's  
screaming his father was never there.  
There's a girl inside and she's screaming  
at the whole wide world, one hair at a time. _

"We're going to melt that or something later."

"….."

"….."

"….."

"Thanks, Hiead."

"….."

"….."

_There's a boy outside and he's  
holding a picture unto his head.  
There's a girl inside who's scratch  
and the blood's on fire, on fire today. _

"Truce?"

"….."

"….."

"…..truce….."

_I'm trying so hard to keep my eyes still.  
Against the whole wide world, to make her love me.  
Whitfield was my world.  
Whole, wide, world, wide, world, wide, world, wide! x3_

_Against the whole wide world, to make her love me.  
Whitfield was my world today.  
Love me.  
Against the whole wide world, cause she won't love me.  
Whitfield was my world._

_The world's on fire... _

_**(scene change)**_

Erts tenderly cracked the kitchen door open and scanned the empty room. No servants. Good. No servants meant Nagatomi stayed clueless as to why his little foster son was home from the 'movies' two hours too late. Erts cringed at the thought of having to lie, even to someone as horrible as Nagatomi. He slipped into the large kitchen and began putting a light dinner together. He had talked with Zero for nearly three full hours about what happened in the ally earlier, and he now just wanted the incident to vanish entirely.

Just as Erts was finishing up the sandwich he had thrown together, the dinning room door slammed outward to admit a very annoyed looking Ernest. He was dressed in comfortable, baggy pants and a hoodie, his long bangs pulled back away from his face. His blue eyes were alight with cold fire at his gaze swept the room before landing on Erts. He watched his aniki's expression, reading him like an open book His monotone, superior mask dropped away to the classic deer-caught-in-the-headlights look to a fearful, panicky appearance and then to a well schooled neutral demeanor the instant he saw his akiki.

"Hey, how was the movie?" Erts's mind flew back to the brief, but intense kissing session he and Zero had shared and grinned.

"It was excellent."

Ernest smiled warmly at that and pulled himself up onto the counter. Placing his face in his hands, he let out a long breath.

"Erts," he said finally. "Do you have somewhere you can disappear to for a while? I think it would be a good idea if the two of us got out of the house for a bit."

"What happened?"  
Ernest sighed again and lifted his face.

"Do you remember that one night Nagatomi (1) came home in a rage and throw the vase at Umi, the maid who was on duty?" Erts nodded quickly, wondering where the story was going.

"Well, I found out why. Some hacker got into his banking system and stole roughly around 180 thousand dollars out of his accounts. He's been trying to track the hackers down while keeping it quiet from the press for two weeks now and has been doing a damn good job. Until today, that is. Someone spilled to the public and it was all over the newspaper this morning. Needless to say, Nagatomi is pissed."

Erts paled.

"Shit. Does he have any leads? Is he anywhere close to solving it?"

Erts wasn't worried about Nagatomi losing his fortune. In fact, he privately congratulated the hacker for accomplishing the feat of separating the stingy bastard from his much loved money. He sincerely hoped that it had been wasted on some fancy sports car, junk food, and anything flashy, the pricier the better. For all his bitching, Nagatomi was smart and tight with a dollar, and never recklessly spent anything. No, Erts was more worried about other possibilities. Ernest saw the look of recognition dawn on his akiki's face.

"Because someone actually succeeded in hacking the systems, every two bit thief worth their backbone is going try stealing more. Worse, one of them is going to be lucky enough to hit the literal 'jackpot'. Worse-case scenario, they murder us and take Nagatomi's empire over. Best case scenario, they ransack the house, the bank, the safe in Sweden, everything and we're left back in the orphanage where we came from."

"Don't you think you're being a bit over-dramatic?" Erts snapped, but the possibilities of those scenarios scared him greatly. Either way, this was a no-win situation for them. He could lose Ernest (2) he could lose Zero, he could lose everything. He met his aniki's eyes and was able to see the same fears in Ernest's sapphire eyes.

"I was going to say at Garu's place for a few days, but if you don't have somewhere to go, I won't. I'm not leaving you here with Nagatomi on the rampage." Erts's mind immediately flew to Zero.

"You go, I have somewhere in mind. If worse comes to worse, I'll bug Yuu into letting me stay at the shrine. He owes me anyway. (3) Erts didn't miss the slight look of relief in his aniki's eyes, no matter how hard Ernest tried to hide it.

"Out of sheer curiosity, do they have any leads on who stole the money?" he asked casually. Ernest sighed and rubbed his face wearily.

"The only clue the police are going off of right now is the digit '0'. It was typed in over and over again in the virus that infected the banking systems. They seem to think it was more then one person though."

Erts nodded and absent mindedly picked at what remained of his food. The next few days where going to be hell, he told himself. You may as well prepare for the worse.

_**(scene change) **_

The loud, shrill ringing of the phone penetrated Atomship's melody and echoed in the room. The walls vibrated with sound that filled the entire apartment and could easily have been heard outside. Endlessly and relentlessly, the annoying noise persisted to call for attention, for someone to answer it. To pick it up and converse with the other line.

Hiead stuffed his head under one if his many pillows and ignored it.

The sullen teen knew of only two people who had his number, Zero and Blake and neither where on his list of people to talk to. Them and the rest of the god-forsaken world. Everyone could burn for all he cared. Hiead knew he had nothing to be upset about, nothing to be pissed about or angry with, but that didn't mean he had to be happy about it. Yes, he was sulking, but he could really care less. All he wanted was for the damn phone to stop ringing so Atomship could continue to flood the room with their voices.

After the fifth ring, Hiead realized the other line wasn't going to get the message, so he lazily rummaged though the building schematics, his tool kit, and the odd book for his mobile. Staring at the number, it took his sleep numb brain three attempts to register the fact that he didn't recognize the number.

"Shit," he muttered under his breath as he debated answering it. All the while, the damn device continued to ring. Finally, the noise became to much for Hiead and he flipped the screen open.

"What?" The person on the other line seemed surprised to have at last gotten a response.

"Mr. Gner?" Hiead noted that the speaker pronounced his last name wrong, he had written, not spoken, orders for all that meant. Hiead stored it away, just incase.

"Who wants to know?" he spat into the tiny speaker.

"My name it detective Jin Yoshizumi." the voice introduced. "I apologize for the late hour, but I desperately need to talk to you, Mr. Gner." Hiead inwardly moaned as yesterday's events and Zero's conversation processed through his head. Shit, he thought. Where did I leave a lose end? He pondered this for a moment before realizing Yoshizumi was still talking. The rambling was getting irritating.

"Could you get to the point? It's," Hiead checked the clock on the table next to him. "1 fucking 30 in the morning."

"My sincerest regards, Mr. Gner. I'll be frank then. Do you personally know one Blake Takei?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Do you, Mr. Gner?" Damn this asshole was persistent!

"Yes I do," Hiead was awake enough to notice that the detective was still mispronouncing his name and sleepy enough not to care.

"Then I'm sorry to be the one to inform you of this, but Mr. Takei is dead. He was killed in a drive-by down at 35th and East Main earlier today. Mr. Gner I would appreciate it if- Mr. Gner? Are you-" the voice was cut off as the phone shattered on impact with the wall.

…..tbc

My god, I actually got this done. I'm surprised, so say the least. Don't worry, I don't plan to torture you all that much longer, there should only be one or two more chapters after this. It depends on how much I can cram into one chapter. Okay, bed now………….

1- nether Ernest nor Erts refers to Nagatomi as 'otousan' or 'father'. He finds it disrespectful and the brothers find is disgusting

2- the orphanages won't let a green eighteen year old adopt, brother or no

3- Erts helped Yuu out with some financial difficulties when his parents fell ill and where unable to care for the shrine, therefore bring no income.


End file.
